Veterans, Military Families and Mental Health: A Candid Conversation
In honor of Veteran’s Day, Palo Alto University is hosting an online event that will address the sometimes difficult path to obtaining mental health support for Veterans and their families.
This expert panel of mental health professionals will feature an Army Veteran who is now a psychologist, a nationally renowned expert in the field of Veterans and PTSD, and the daughter of an Army Veteran who is a doctoral student in psychology. They will share their personal and professional experience, particularly as it relates to:
- Obstacles to seeking mental health care
- How to approach a reluctant Veteran who needs care
- What to expect from treatment
- How families and friends can support Veterans during the treatment process
- Identifying resources for families and Veterans
The general public, Veterans, their family members and friends are encouraged to attend.
This panel discussion is part of Palo Alto University's At the Forefront of Mental Health series and takes place November 8, 2021, from 6-7 p.m. PT.
The panelists are:
Josef Ruzek, PhD, is a clinical psychologist specializing in treatment of post-traumatic stress problems. He is a founding director of the Early Intervention Clinic, a research clinic of Palo Alto University which provides counseling services to individuals who have experienced a recent traumatic event. He served as Director of the Dissemination and Training Division of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD and is coeditor of two editions of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies for Trauma, and a contributing author for the National Center for PTSD’s Iraq War Clinician Guide. He is also a co-editor of Caring for Veterans with Deployment-Related Stress Disorders: Iraq, Afghanistan, and Beyond, published by the American Psychological Association.
Kristen Vescera, PhD, is an Operation Enduring Freedom combat Veteran and spent 10 years enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve. She received her PhD in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University in 2021 where she studied resilience factors for Service Member and Veteran mental health. She earned her master’s degree in Public Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, concentrating on public mental health communication and education and holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and Counselor Education from the University of Colorado Denver. She is currently working at the VA's Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention in Canandaigua, NY as a Health Systems Specialist focusing on developing, disseminating, and evaluating national training and education programs aimed at preventing and reducing Veteran suicide.
Ashlynn Steinbaugh, BS, is the daughter of a retired Army Special Forces medic with 13 combat tours. Ashlynn grew up in a military community where she was connected with other children and families that had one or both parents in the military. She is an active participant of nonprofit organizations for Veterans in California and Oregon where she volunteers her time working at Veteran events. She is currently a second year in the Ph.D. Clinical Psychology program at Palo Alto University, where she is studying neuropsychology.